Happy Ever After
by xmellyxox
Summary: sequel to a sequel...so yeah;') it's five years on..Rachel and Chris!


**I don't know how good this is, but I kind of wanted to write another section to the 'Rachel & Chris' shipping, so this is like a sequel to the sequel…um yeah:3 it's just a one-shot.**

**Anyway, this is five years on, and what their lives could be like.**

**Hope it's okay, please review!**

**Chapter 1:**

"Chris please be careful with her! She doesn't like going too high!" Rachel shouted.

"Yes, yes she's fine!" Chris shouted back.

Rachel was busy cuddling the youngest, watching her husband swing Isabella around. The twins were approaching age five, Isabella was two and a half, running everywhere and trying on everything in Rachel's shoe cupboard and Kai was nine months old and just learning to sit up.

"Come on mister, time for your nap I think" Rachel said, placing Kai back into his pushchair with is blanket. Eva and Joseph were running around playing football, trying to teach Isabella how to kick properly once Chris had put her down.

"Here you go" Rachel handed Chris a hot drink from the hut. It was getting cooler now and the sun was beginning to set. They were on holiday for a week at a little hotel up north to get away from things, and today was their last day before travelling back to Manchester.

Rachel was back at work full time now and had been for nearly three months. She hated being back so soon, leaving her baby whilst he was little, but having worked part time after Isabella and leading up to the birth of Kai. She needed to focus on her work now; it wasn't so much that Gill was getting annoyed, but Rachel felt guilty for the fact she had had so much time off work.

"What are we doing for our anniversary then, Mrs Latham?" Chris asked, pulling Rachel into a cuddle. They both stared out to see, watching the figures of their children run around on the sand.

"I don't know, what are we doing?" Rachel asked, looking up at him. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to stop her from dithering, but just being in Chris' arms made her feel warm.

They had been together for seven years now, but the way they looked at each other was still the same from when they first met.

"Well, I was thinking; the kids could go to mums, or we could split them between Janet. I could take you out for a romantic meal, and then we could go home, reminisce about how much we've grown up since being together…and how we have four children all under the age of ten….and then you know, cuddle like we used to" Chris said, kissing her head.

"Cuddle hmm? Nice choice of words" Rachel replied, smiling.

The moment was disrupted by Isabella's cry. "Muuuuuuuum!"

"What's the matter now?" Rachel sighed.

"Joe won't let me have the ball" she screamed

"Stop it missy. Being stroppy will get you nowhere" Rachel said, scooping her up.

Chris scoffed, shaking his head. "What's the matter with you?!" Rachel squeaked, turning to face him. "Nothing, no nothing, just…I remember hearing about certain incidents in the office over the past few years involving arguments…" Chris began to smirk, but soon stopped when Rachel hit him. "Hey! What did you do that for?! It's true! No wonder where her stroppy attitudes come from!"

Rachel began to laugh. "I suppose it's true in _some _incidents."

"Well we are going to go back to the hotel now, you three need bathed, changed and fed by the time Kai wakes up because you know what he's like. Plus, you have to be in bed early tonight as we have a long day ahead tomorrow. We have to be out of the hotel by 11, so hopefully if the traffics good, we should get back home late afternoon" Rachel added, beginning to walk along the parade.

XxxXxxX

They arrived back in Manchester the next day, just after four. Janet had promised she would pop around and see how they were. She had also done them a roast dinner so Rachel didn't have to cook when they got back.

"Thank you Janet. Very kind" Rachel said when she came around.

"Well I thought it would save you from cooking, you know; being all tired and everything."

"It's never Rachel who cooks anyway, it's me. Rachel can't even boil a kettle" Chris added, coming out of the kitchen.

"Shut up you! I can cook more things than that!"

"Like what? Oh, do you remember when you tried to make chicken and mushroom pie and forgot to buy the chicken? Or that once you were making pizza and you cut up all the chillies instead of the peppers…?"

"Yes ok, so I'm not brilliant; but I'm good at everything else!" Rachel retorted.

Chris just began to laugh, wrapping his arms around his wife.

Janet smirked; "well I'll leave you two lovebirds to it…oh by the way, it's your anniversary next week isn't it? Well I can have the kids if you want."

"Thank you for the offer Jan, but isn't six kids a lot to handle? Even if it is only for one night" Rachel replied.

"No! Honestly it's fine! Taisie and Elise will help me anyway, and the little ones no trouble! Eva and Joseph are growing up as well, I'm sure if we find them something to play with they will be fine!" Janet insisted.

"Thank you Jan, I appreciate it. We appreciate it. I'll see you tomorrow" Rachel said, kissing her cheek.

XxxXxxX

The next couple of days flew by. Rachel got more settled into work, and within three days another murder had been solved.

"So motherhood clearly doesn't affect Sherlock's brain!" Gill said, widening her eyes when her officer came bouncing in with the arrest.

"What can I say ma'am? I'm have many skills"

"Ha yeah right!" Kevin piped up from his desk.

"Shut it you!"

"Oi!"

Rachel smirked, bashing Kevin's arm.

"Ok that's enough! Rachel aren't you going out tonight anyway? Go and have a good time. We'll see you tomorrow morning ok? Have fun and don't drink too much!" Gill said, clicking her fingers when no-one moved.

Rachel nodded and grabbed her bag, running out of the office.

"It's nice she's finally got a family" Janet said, standing next to Gill.

"Isn't it just? She of all people deserves a good life" Gill replied.

"And good sex" Kevin added, ducking before Gill's hand met his head.

XxxXxxX

It was 7 o'clock and the kids were at Janet's. Rachel and Chris were at a restaurant in in the middle of Manchester. The same restaurant where they went on their first date. "Do you remember the first time we came here?" Chris asked, holding her hand from across the table.

"Yes of course I do! It was fabulous!" Rachel smiled. "I can't believe that seven years ago we were sitting here having a friendly drink, and now look at us. We have four amazing children and I have an amazing husband"

"I have an amazing wife, who doesn't look any older than when I first met her" Chris said, winking.

"Oh give over. Anyway, I was going to say; when you first walked through into the office all those years ago, my heart was racing, it honestly was. I couldn't- what are you laughing at?"

"You. You're so cute. I know by the way, how you felt, and to be completely honest I'm so glad you asked me out for that drink" Chris said.

"How do you know?"

"Janet told me at the wedding party. She was slightly drunk, she didn't even remember who I was the next morning let alone what she said to me" Chris replied, taking another bite.

Rachel nodded and smiled.

As the evening grew darker, the more Rachel drank, until she collapsed in the taxi. Chris had to carry her into the house and took her up to bed. He tucked her in and kissed her goodnight, before getting in next to her.

"I see even though you have four children, and are a lot older than you were when we first met, I think you've drank more tonight than you ever have!" Chris joked.

"Shut it" she whispered.

Chris laughed and kissed Rachel's shoulder.

"Oh Rach! Come on, wake up. I'm bored! Where's the TV remote?"

"Downstairs. Where there is also a TV, and where you won't get hit"

"What?"

Rachel kicked him hard, making him yelp.

"What was that for?! Come on Rach, it's the one child-free night we've had in ages, and will probably be the last in a very long time…" he pulled her closer and kissed her cheek.

"Chris I'm tired, please. I promise you next spare nights we have together we can do whatever you like, but I'm in work tomorrow. Night"

"So this is where we act like proper, responsible adults?"

"You got it sunshine" Rachel said, snuggling into his arms.


End file.
